Methods for making perforated-embossed leather fabrics



June 21, 1955 A. R. KAPLAN 2,711,040

METHODS FOR MAKING PERFORATED-EMBOSSED LEATHER FABRICS Filed Nov. le,1955 Flags ATTORNEY United States Patent METHODS FDR MAKING PERFORATED-EMBOSSED LEATHER FABRICS Abraham R. Kaplan, Great Neck, N. Y.

Application November 16, 1953, Serial No. 392,439

6 Claims. (Cl. 41-Z4) The present invention relates to methods forforming perforated and especially perforated-embossed leather or similarfabrics, particularly decorative, perforated-embossed leather or likefabrics, such as are described and claimed in my companion application,executed of even date herewith, entitled Perforated-EmbossedV Leather orLike Fabrics and Apparatus for Forming the Same, and which nd preferreduse in shoe uppers or the like.

In my said companion application, I have explained that perforated.decorative fabrics have heretofore been made and used, and that suchprior art fabrics have heretofore been made by the die-cutting method;each perforation being formed by an individual, tubular cutting knifewhich struck or punched out a section ofthe fabric to. form theperforation and which was assembledwith a number of companion tubular orcircular knives into a single cutting die.

Inl my said companion application I have also explained theshortcomings. and limitations resulting from the practice of the priorart methods, among which were listed limitations on the minimum size ofthe perforations because of the physical limitations on the minimum sizeof a tubular or ciruclar knife that could be made; limitations onf theminimum space between perforations due to the limits on the proximity inwhich'adjacent circular or tubular knives could be assembled; and,`finally, limitations of the strength of the resulting decorati-ve fabricdue to the removal of sections thereof in the formation of theperforations.

Another shortcoming in the prior art methods and apparatus, not advertedto in my` said companion applicaf tion, is that with such methods andapparatusitwas generally necessary to form and provide a. separatecutting die forV each different size or. shape of perforated areadesired to be formed, even though the size andyshape of the individualperforations remained the same. rendered variation in the size and shapeof the area perforated with a particular size and shape of perforationpractically prohibitive from the point of cost. Y

It is an object of the present invention to devise methods for makingperforated-embossed leather or like fabrics of the character describedwhich; will not materially weaken the tensile strength of the perforatedleather or fabric.

It is also an object of the present inventiony to devise methods of thecharacter described which, while forming perforations in the leather orfabric, will strengthen the portions of the fabric between perforations,to compensate, at least to a major extent, for any weakening that mightresult as a consequence of the formationV of the perforations.

This f It is a particular object of the present invention to de-` visemethods whereby leather or like fabrics may be provided with perforatedor perforated embossed areas of diterent sizes and shapes from a commondie, Without any need for preparing a separate die for each differentlysized or shaped perforated area that might be desired Patented June 2l,1955 with great economy.

It is a further object of the presenty invention to devise methods ofthe character described which are simple, easy and economical topractice.

The foregoing and other advantages and superiorities of the methods ofthe present invention will become more. readily/*apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the embodiment and arrangement of one form ofthe apparatus of the present invention for use with such methods, shownin the accompanying drawing and from the description following. lt is tobe understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way ofillustration only, to make the principles and practice of the inventionmore readilyfcomprehensible, and without any intent to limit theinvention tothe specific details therein shown.

In the drawings: v

Fig. l is a more or less diagrammatic, exploded; perspective viewshowing a die for use with the methods of the invention and the relativearrangement of the leather and other elements with respect to it, inpracticing the method;

Fig. 2 is a more or less diagrammatic, cross-sectional view, showing thearrangement of die andwork at the end of the perforating embossingprocess; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective top plan view of a'section of leather or likefabric having aperforated-embossed area of limited size and shape formedon the die of Fig. l.

Generally stated, the present invention departs from the methods of ltheprior art which form the perforated decorative fabrics by punching orcutting out sectionsr of the fabric, in forming such perforateddecorations .by punching or piercing operation and a gradual enlargementof the punctured or pierced openings. Suchmethods of puncturing andspreading leaves the leather or like fabric material intact, merelytransposingor shifting some of it to the sections of. the fabric betweenand immediately radjacent to the punctured perforations, thus affectingthe strength of the leather or like fabric to a minimum.

Another departure of the methods of the present invention from themethods of the prior art resides in the formation of decorativeperforations that varytaperingly in cross-section from one surface ofthe fabric tothe other, so as to produce a product which has large,clearl;l visible and distinct perforation openings in one of itssurfaces but relatively smaller, less exposing openings in its othersurface. Such method of perforation also leaves webs betweenperforationsthat are of relatively greater strength in proportionto the proximity ofthe perforations to one another on the side of their larger openings.

For the practice of the methods of the present invention, l havedevisedj a die, generally designated as l0,

which may beformedy of any suitable metal, such as bronze, which has cutout in one of its surfaces, a plurality of puncturing teeth or elements,il. Such ele-- ments are formed` with relatively wide bases and taperoutwardly, preferably gradually an end or point 12, of adequatesharpness to penetrate, under suitable pressure, the leather or likefabric to be perforated and also the masking material which willhereinafter be more fully described.

The puncturingelements 101- are preferably of a height greater than thethickness of the leather or like fabric to be perforated and any liningthat may be provided with it, and may be of circular cross' section orof polyg- 'as of a press. 'or unlined, designated as 15, is then placedon the die 10, with its obverse or outer face, 16, resting on theelements 11. A masking sheet or plate, 1S, of a suitable material, suchas a material with innate resilience or that can be readily penetratedby the puncturing elements 11, as of cardboard or the like, of adequatethickness, is then rested on the reverse face, 19, of the fabric I5,directly over the elements 11 of the die, and the press, 20, is thenlowered on the masking board 1S, and

pressure applied until the puneturing elements l1 are forced through theleather or like fabric 15 and to the desired depth into the maskingboard 18, to obtain perforations, 21, of the desired size.

During the pressing operation, the elements 11 will first penetrate andpuncture the fabric 15, without removing any part thereof, and willgradually enlarge the penetrations to form the perforations 21,displacing the fabric material laterally to compress it into the Webs22, between perforations; such webs being thickened as well ascompressed, with the thickening taking place on the side away from themasking board 1S, by being forced into the spaces between elements 11,to form tapering embossments.

It will be apparent that the perforations 21 will taper correspondinglyto the elements 11 and will have wide openings in the obverse face ofthe leather or like fabric 15 and smaller openings in the reverse face19 thereof. l

The foregoing method, when used with the apparatus of the presentinvention, as illustrated and described, because of the sharp ends 12 ofthe elements 11, may be readily adapted to form perforated areas inleather or like fabrics, of different sizes and of dierent shapes oroutlines, with the same die. This may be readily accomplished by forminga masking board 18 of the exact size and shape or outline desired to beformed in the fabric, and by utilizing such masking board in the mannerdescribed, to dispose it directly over the portion of the leather orlike fabric desired to be perforated. in this manner, when pressure isapplied, it will be transmitted and applied only through the maskingboard 13, of limited size and shape, only over the teeth directlyunderlying it, puncturing only that portion of the leather or likefabric 15 lying between it and the elements 11, leaving the surroundingarea of the leather or like fabric imperforate because of lack ofpressure on it. This is not readily possible with circular orcylindrical cutting or punching teeth having end areas of substantialsize that it would be dicult to match with the edges of a masking boardsuch as 18.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing,although the die 10 is of relatively large rectangular shape, themasking board 13 is shown as being of smaller size and as having theshape of half an Octagon, and the fabric 15 is shown in Fig. 3 as havingreceived a perforated area resulting from the use of such masking boardwhich is of identical size and shape as the masking board.

It may here be stated that wherever the term leather is used in theclaims, it is intended to include both, natural and artificial leatherand leather substitutes.

This completes the description of the methods of the present invention.It will be readily apparent that such methods are highly suitable forforming decorative perforated fabrics of improved characteristics; thatsuch methods are easyand simple to practice; and that they enable theutilization of one die for making perforated areas in fabrics of manydifferent sizes and shapes.

It will also be apparent that numerous modifications and variations maybe made in the methods of present invention by any one skilled, in theart, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove setforth and without the utilization of any inventive ingenuity. I desire,therefore, to be protected for any and all such modifications andvariations that may be made within the spirit of the present inventionand the scopeof the claims" hereto appended.

What I claim is:

l. The method for forming a decorative perforated I leather fabric whichcomprises the steps of simultaneously puncturing the fabric at aplurality of points and gradually taperingly enlarging said punctures.

2. The method for forming a decorative perforatedleather fabric whichcomprises the steps of placing the` fabric over a plurality of taperingpuncturing teeth and simultaneously gradually forcing said teeth throughsaid fabric.

3. The method for forming a decorative perforatedV embossed leatherfabric which comprises the steps of placing the fabric on a die having aplurality of sharp` pointed tabering puncturing teeth with the teethdisposed against the fabric, placing a masking board of Vmaterialpenetrable'by said teeth against said fabric over said` teeth andapplying pressure against said masking board.

4. The method for forming a decorative perforated embossed leatherfabric which comprises the steps'of placing the fabric on a die having aplurality ofv sharp pointed' teeth, with the fabric disposed against thepoints of said teeth, placing a masking board of a material pene-ltrable by said teeth and pressing said die and said masking board towardone another.

5. The method for forminga perforated area of limited size and shape ina leather fabric which comprises the steps of forming a masking board ofa material penetrably by puncturing teeth of the same size and shape asthe said perforated area, placing the fabric on a die having a pluralityof tapered puncturing teeth with the area to be perforated disposed `onthe points of said f teeth, placing said masking boardover thearea oftheV fabric to be punctured and then pressing said die and said maskingboard toward one another.

6. The method for forming a perforated area vof any y selected size andshape in a leather fabric'kon a common die having a plurality oftapered, pointed puncturing teeth which comprises the steps. of forminga masking y board of a material penetrable by said teeth of the shapeand size of the selected area to be perforated, placing said fabricagainst said die with the area to be perforated disposed completelyagainst said teeth, placing said masking board over the area of saidfabric to be 'perforated and pressing said die and said masking boardtoward one another.

References Cited inthe le of this patent t UNITED STATES PATENTS

